Chapter 435 - 296: Marriage Alliance (Part 2)

"Levi, I’ll be direct. I want to recruit you. I’m being sincere—this is different from before."

The Lord had known all along that Fulina must be after something, given how much she was talking. He had been deliberately steering the conversation to random topics, refusing to walk into her trap.

"Oh?" Levi said, feigning disappointment. "Fulina, it’s not that I’m criticizing you, but if you had come to recruit me back when I was a penniless Pioneer Knight, I might have agreed without a second thought."

"But now, I’m a Marquis with elite soldiers and fierce generals. Your recruitment attempt now is doomed to be a waste of breath."

"Actually, I’m not asking you to become my Vassal. That would be impossible, of course. What I mean to say is, the Martel Family wants to form a marriage alliance with you!"

Fulina stared at Levi, speaking each word with great seriousness.

For ordinary Knights, you could win their loyalty simply by granting them a patch of wasteland as a fief or conferring a title upon them.

But for the true upper echelons, only a marriage alliance was a surefire way to maximize mutual interests.

Perhaps in the past, Fulina might have used a fief or a title as a bargaining chip, but the Lord of High Cliff Castle’s status was now on the same level as her own.

He was worthy of her using marriage to turn him into a steadfast ally.

The Lord was stunned for a moment. This time, he didn’t rush to refuse. After all, as the lord of a territory, the matter of heirs was a concern not just for him, but for all of High Cliff Castle.

Although Tina would be his legitimate wife, given his physical constitution, one wife was clearly not enough.

He hadn’t wanted to get involved in such things before because he had nothing to his name. Now, he had status and power. So what was wrong with him wanting to "critically examine" the customs and traditions of this Otherworld?

’After fighting for a lifetime, can’t I enjoy myself a little?’

He asked, puzzled, "Fulina, as far as I know, the Martel Family doesn’t have any suitable women, right? Perhaps there are some noble ladies my age, but given their status, do you think they’d be for a marriage alliance or to humiliate me?"

It wasn’t just in his past life; this world also cared about matching social status.

A Marquis was destined to marry the daughter of a Duke or another Marquis, never the daughter of a Baron.

Therefore, a suitable woman for him could only be someone like Fulina’s own daughter. But that was obviously impossible—Fulina wasn’t even married, so where would she get a daughter?

"What if I were the one to marry you?" Fulina took a leisurely sip of her tea, calmly staring at the handsome man before her.

A year ago, he was just a Pioneer Lord with nothing to his name. But a year later, he had not only become a Marquis but also a Dragon Knight.

Although his territory was a bit poor, comparable to a barony at best, it was foreseeable that High Cliff Castle would develop at an unimaginable speed after he returned.

In other words, Levi himself was a top-tier powerhouse, and High Cliff Castle was a stock with massive potential.

If the Northern Territory and High Cliff Castle were to unite, they would completely control the north of Debei. With a Giant Dragon, it might even be possible to establish a Royal Palace in the Northern Territory.

She had remained unmarried not because she didn’t want to marry, but because she hadn’t found anyone suitable. Now that she had met someone who fit her criteria in every way, a marriage alliance was a logical next step.

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH." The Lord choked as if having an asthma attack. After a while, he asked in disbelief, "Fulina, are you serious?"

He had to admit, he had indeed had his own thoughts about the Queen of the North before.

After all, she was young, beautiful, and controlled the entire Northern Territory—a true "rich lady." No man could possibly ignore her.

But thoughts were just thoughts. The difference in their status was night and day. A woman of her caliber wasn’t someone he could attract with his good looks alone.

He never expected this day to come so suddenly. It made him feel like he was dreaming and hadn’t woken up yet.

"Why not?" Fulina showed no hint of shyness. As a Duchess, she was long past the stage of a bashful little girl.

Or perhaps, even if she felt shy, she would never let it show.

"Levi, you yourself are an unimaginably strong powerhouse. The fact that you could slay a legendary-grade Balrog Flame Demon on your own proves it. Not to mention, you’re a Dragon Knight and hold the title of Marquis," Fulina said seriously. "And we’ve known each other for some time. I admit I’ve had favorable feelings for you, especially when you came to rescue me in the Wilderness by yourself."

"I honestly can’t think of anyone more suitable to marry than you."

Faced with Fulina’s direct pitch, even the thick-skinned Lord found himself at a loss, scratching the back of his head in torment.

The Queen of the North had spent too much time in the military, completely adopting a swift, decisive, and daring attitude.

Her directness left the Lord completely flustered.

Frankly speaking, putting everything else aside, a marriage alliance with Fulina would indeed be beneficial for High Cliff Castle.

But...

The Lord, being used to having the final say, couldn’t get used to the idea of having someone above him who could also give orders.

Once they were married, High Cliff Castle would have two voices of authority.

This was unavoidable. If one didn’t factor him into the equation, the Northern Territory was indeed much stronger than High Cliff Castle, so Fulina’s voice would naturally carry significant weight.

Although the Barbarians of High Cliff Castle would certainly never listen to Fulina, what about the people Fulina might send to High Cliff Castle to aid its development?

No matter the faction, if its people were not of one mind, it would be doomed sooner or later.

When High Cliff Castle developed to the point where it surpassed the Northern Territory, Levi would even take the initiative to propose a marriage alliance.

But now was not the time.

Besides, from a long-term perspective, Tina, with her claim, was more suitable to be his first wife than Fulina.

Levi was an adult. He wouldn’t let his lust get the better of him and do something reckless on a whim.

Every choice had to be made after careful consideration of all factors.

Of course, the main reason was that if he married Fulina, he would likely lose the chance to "critically examine" the Otherworld’s custom of having three wives and four concubines.

"Fulina, I’ll be direct. It’s not a suitable time for us to marry."

The Lord said with a serious expression, "I’m in the spotlight right now. If I marry you, the entire north will become our personal domain."

"No ruler would tolerate us expanding our power so unscrupulously."

Although by the laws of this world, not even the King can interfere with a Duke’s autonomy over their own fief...

...that was just the rule on paper. No king would stand by and watch a Duke under him grow more powerful than himself.

Without a doubt, if he and Fulina united, they would become a target for everyone.

Because the other Dukes would not idly watch another Duke’s power far exceed their own.

Although Liya was most likely on their side, the Southern Territory had been ravaged by war for the past six months. It was a crippling blow, and she would be lucky to simply maintain her own rule.

Fulina fell silent. It was precisely because she was a Duchess that she understood everything Levi said was true.

Earlier, she had been so fired up by the sudden news of Levi being a Dragon Knight that she had rushed over to recruit him, afraid someone else would snatch him up first. That was why she had overlooked these details.

Levi stood up, placed his hands on Fulina’s shoulders, and spoke earnestly, "Fulina, even though we can’t get married right now, we both know what’s between us. A marriage alliance needs the right timing, and until then, we need to wait."

"The raindrops in the clouds will eventually fall. Be patient, my..."

"My Lord..."

Just then, a figure excitedly rushed to the tent flap, holding something. But when he pulled back the curtain and saw the scene inside, he blinked, his eyes darted around, and then he bolted, leaving only a single sentence hanging in the air.

"My Lord, the supply corps’ ewe is pregnant again! I’m going to help deliver the lamb!"

"That is indeed an important matter," the Lord muttered at first, but then he quickly realized.

"Damn it, Rivinci! You’re a painter! What the hell do you know about delivering lambs!"

"Oh crap. That guy isn’t going to go spreading rumors about us, is he?" Levi looked at Fulina. Fulina looked down at the hand resting on her jade-white shoulder and blinked her beautiful eyes.